News: Vanessa Williams, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tom Varndell

· An Illinois House committee advances a civil unions bill, the Chicago Tribune reports. "If it becomes law, the bill would make Illinois the sixth
state to approve civil unions, meant to give same-sex couples the same 'basic rights' as married couples, said sponsoring Rep. Greg Harris
(D-Chicago). 'It appears that people have a concern with the intermingling of
religious and civil marriage,' Harris said. 'But a lot of people, the
vast majority, believe that all couples deserve basic rights.' Harris said. Harris said he is unsure if he has enough support for the measure to pass the full House."

· Sen. Barbara Boxer on Rachel Maddow: "The California Supreme Court was right the first time they decided on marriage. Ron George, a Republican, wrote this beautiful decision that you have to have the same rules of marriage. We're going to have to go back to the ballot."

·Vanessa Williams talks to Out.com about her new CDThe Real Thing and her role as Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty. "I absolutely love her. It’s a ball to work on, and it just gets more and more delicious every season. We are going to be doing a musical episode where everyone is going to sing. I also sang in the season finale this year with Christine Baranski. Every season they give me more and more things to do. I’m
playing tennis with Billie Jean King. I’m speaking French. It just seems like Wilhelmina is an expert at everything. The challenge is always looking like everything is effortless."

· There are competing marriage bills in Pennsylvania. "Sen. Daylin Leach (D) announced his marriage equality bill on Wednesday. The bill would provide 'full and equal marriage rights to same-sex
couples in Pennsylvania', said Leach. The legislation also would recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other areas where they are legal. Earlier this month, Republican state Sen. John Eichelberger filed a bill to amend the state constitution to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples. The state already has a so-called Defense of Marriage law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples."